Chapter 5 One Breath
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“Zhang Huan, come back!” Yuwen Chu called out lightly. The guard gave Mingzhu an angry glare and hastily followed after.
“Stop right there! Compensate for my shoe!” Mingzhu couldn’t provoke Yuwen Chu, but she had more than enough to provoke Zhang Huan. She heard Yuwen Chu reprimanding Zhang Huan ahead, his voice ethereal and distant: “If a dog bites you, do you bite back?”
Zhang Huan nodded in agreement, laughing amiably and understandingly.
Seeing everyone around her smirking, Mingzhu gritted her teeth in anger. How could she not know that Yuwen Chu was such a ruthless person? She only remembered that in her past life, Ying Wang Yuwen Chu was an unassuming person who kept a low profile. Even his entire Ying Mansion remained stable during those turbulent times.
Emperor Wenzong had nine sons, and Yuwen Chu was the sixth, born to Imperial Consort Min and titled Ying Wang.
She had limited contact with this mother-son pair in her past life. She only knew that Imperial Consort Min was extremely smooth and calm, standing firm even after experiencing the reigns of three emperors. She always greeted everyone with a smile, regardless of how intense the fights in the harem were. Imperial Consort Min always lived a relaxed and comfortable life. Even when she was down and out, she treated Mingzhu very kindly and sent her many things she urgently needed. Among them were some medicines that her mother urgently needed, for which she was truly grateful.
As for Ying Wang Yuwen Chu, she had never interacted with him. She had only seen him from afar a few times in the crowd, and her impression of him wasn’t deep. She only remembered that he had a very good reputation, just like his mother Imperial Consort Min, stable and considerate. In the later stages, when major mansions were in turmoil, Ying Mansion remained very stable.
Mingzhu was more familiar with Ying Wang’s main Imperial Consort, Lady Jiang. The couple was quite special among the royal family. They had been engaged for a long time but had not yet married, seemingly the latest among their generation. At that time, both Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu had been married for over a year. After they married, they were known for their good relationship. The women in the royal family often compared Ying Wang couple and Mingzhu and Yuwen You, and Mingzhu didn’t think much of it at first. Later, when everything was inferior to them and she felt increasingly disappointed, she consciously avoided Lady Jiang, so she didn’t know much about what happened to them later.
She died a little earlier, and many things were not clear to her. But none of these Wangyes and grandchildren were easy to deal with, so there was no need to offend them. Yuwen Chu had just made it clear that he wanted to deliberately antagonize her, so why should she fall for it? Moreover, she had to rely on his manpower to extinguish the fire. It was truly regrettable that the Lingkong winding walkway burned down, and she didn’t want to cause such trouble for no reason. Mingzhu suppressed her anger and called out to Su Lan, “Let’s go.”
Su Lan’s shoes were much bigger than hers, so she walked unsteadily. Su Lan helped her walk slowly and advised her in a low voice, “Miss, don’t argue with these rough people. Bear with it for now. When we return home, you can talk to Master or Grandmaster in detail.”
The mountain path was rugged and difficult to navigate, with uneven terrain. Mingzhu saw that Su Lan was having a hard time walking barefoot, so she found a sheltered place to sit down and considerately said, “Let’s rest here. Our family should be coming to find us soon. Let them bring us some shoes.”
Su Lan thanked her, “Thank you for your concern, Miss.”
Mingzhu said, “When I can protect you, you can rest assured. If I can’t protect you, don’t blame me.” In her past life, Su Lan had a bad ending. After the Fu family was wiped out, those who hated the Fu family to the core still couldn’t let go of their hatred. They tried every means to kill her, but because of Yuwen You’s strange temperament, they didn’t dare to act openly. So they took the opportunity when she wasn’t paying attention to kill Su Lan. She still remembered Su Lan’s tragic death, truly unforgivable.
In fact, if you really pursued it, neither she nor her mother nor her nephew had done anything wrong, especially Su Lan. It was just because of the surname Fu. As for her father and brothers, it was false to say how much evil they had done. It was just because their power was too great and they were too complacent, which aroused the jealousy and resentment of others, and they naturally stood on the side of the Empress Dowager. It’s more about having no choice. It can be seen that in this world, no one really talks about reason. It’s just a matter of anger and who is more powerful.
Su Lan felt that Mingzhu was acting strange and smiled, “Look at Miss speak, how can you not protect this servant? Because of serving Miss, those people outside have to look up to me. Using the words of the outsiders, I am even more precious than the girls of ordinary families. My parents dare not bully me outside. All of this is because of Miss’s grace.”
Mingzhu frowned, “As for this Ying Wang, I don’t know how I offended him to the point where he can’t let it go. Even if I unknowingly offended him with my words before, he’s a grown man. Why would he make such a big deal out of it? Hasn’t his reputation always been excellent? How can he not understand the importance of preserving his reputation?” Could it be that she naturally had a face that invited hatred? Yuwen You hating her is one thing, but even Yuwen Chu can’t get along with her like this.
Su Lan said, “Even if Miss offended him with her words, it’s not Miss’s fault. He hid in the dark without making his identity known, staring at people without restraint, and speaking disrespectfully. He provoked several times. Anyone would scold him. How can he blame Miss for being willful?”
Mingzhu fell silent.
She knew very well that she was quite indulgent and willful, and she enjoyed pleasure. She couldn’t bear any grievances or hardships. But she felt that it couldn’t be entirely blamed on her. Her father, Fu Cong, had her when he was in his forties. Before that, the Fu family had all boys, and she was born to the main wife. Moreover, at that time, her father was successful in his career, her cousin became the crown prince, and she thought it would be difficult not to be favored. Later on, her aunt rose from Empress Dowager to Great Empress Dowager, her father became the Prime Minister, Grand Tutor, and ranked among the three officials. Her cousin, the emperor, passed away at a young age, and her young nephew became the emperor. As the young emperor couldn’t rule personally, political matters were decided in consultation between the Empress Dowager and the Fu family. The Fu family held immense power, and for a time, they were unparalleled. She became even more favored. She could have whatever she wanted with just a glance or a word. It could be said that she got whatever she desired effortlessly.
For someone who had sailed through life without worries, how could she learn humility, restraint, and thoroughness? So, it couldn’t be entirely her fault that she grew up twisted. However, during those dark and miserable years, she bore the consequences herself. For example, her doomed relationship with Yuwen You, and her moments of despair and sadness, nobody could bear the pain for her or ease her burden. Whether it was her aunt, father, mother, or brothers, none of them could replace her.
Or, she should just restrain her temperament, repent, and start anew. As the book says, “A small forbearance avoids chaos, and people can change after making mistakes…” In the future, she must become a thoughtful and gentle person, magnanimous and dignified, loved by everyone…
Mingzhu was lost in thought when she heard Su Lan say again, “Miss has a bright and straightforward personality. Whether she’s happy or not is written all over her face, everyone in the family knows, even the Empress Dowager’s palace knows. If one day Miss suddenly becomes inscrutable, not showing emotions of joy or anger, we would think Miss isn’t Miss anymore.”
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